DUDLEY, Mass. (2/21/2026) – The Nichols College men's lacrosse team came up short in a non-conference contest Saturday afternoon, falling 14–5 to United States Coast Guard Academy at Cadet Memorial Field.

With the loss, the Bison drop to an even 1-1 with the win while the Bears rise to 1-1. 

Sophomore Kane Williams led the Bison offensively, recording a team-high two goals for his first multi-point performance of the day. Sophomores Jonah Libby and Jack Campbell, along with junior Jackson Hernandez, each added a goal in the matchup. Senior John Caserta and junior Shea Ullo paced the playmaking efforts with two assists apiece, while Ullo added two ground balls and two shots on goal. At the faceoff, senior Travis Arnold led Nichols with five ground balls and went 9-for-18 on faceoffs. Defensively, multiple Bison contributed turnovers, highlighted by freshman long stick midfielder Cole Goudreau, who recorded the first caused turnover of his collegiate career.

Senior Carter Renaud recorded 10 saves while facing 29 shots in the loss, while sophomore Andrew Whitman added one save in relief, stopping one of the two shots he faced.

The Bears opened the scoring early, building a 2–0 lead within the first seven minutes of play, with their first goal coming just three minutes into the contest and the second shortly after. The Bison attempted to respond, generating shots on goal from Hernandez and Ullo, but the Coast Guard defense held firm. The Bears continued to build momentum, adding two more goals to close out the quarter and take a 4–0 lead into the second.

Coast Guard carried its offensive momentum into the second half, once again scoring a pair of goals within the opening five minutes to extend its advantage. Nichols answered back, as Jonah Libby found the back of the net off an assist from Shea Ullo, marking Ullo's second assist of the afternoon. The Bears responded with another goal late in the quarter to maintain control heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter followed a similar script, with Coast Guard scoring three early goals to further extend its lead. Despite the deficit, the Bison closed the game with a late surge, scoring three goals in the final four minutes. Kane Williams ignited the run with a goal off an assist from John Caserta, then added another alongside Caserta after Nichols capitalized on a man-up opportunity. Jackson Hernandez capped off the scoring for the Bison with his first goal of the season just before the final horn.

The Bison will return home for their next matchup as they host the Amcats of Anna Maria College on Friday, February 27 at 7:00 PM at Vendetti Field.